This invention relates generally to a flexible, resilient weatherseal strip for an exterior doorway door sill assembly. More specifically, this invention relates to such a weatherseal which is connected to and covers an exterior facing side portion of a threshold member and which is adapted to cover a space between the threshold member and an upright end wall of an adjacent metal weather cover. The weatherseal features a flashing or flap which extends over the end wall such that water falling on the weatherseal spills across the end wall onto a sloping foot plate so as to gravitate off an end of the weather cover.
Broadly speaking, various flexible, resilient weatherseal strips of a type which are inserted between a threshold member and an adjacent metal weather cover have long been known and used in the prior art. See, for example, my U.S. Pat. No. 5,179,804 granted Jan. 19, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,779 granted to D. W. Kehrli et al. on May 23, 1989; U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,814 granted to J. C. Headrick on Aug. 11, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,181 granted to D. C. Geoffrey et al, on Jul. 27, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,419 granted to T. E. Jenkins on Sep. 10, 1996; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,894 granted to J. C. Headrick on Jun. 27, 1995. These are compression type weatherseals which are compressed between either a door or an elongate threshold cap and an adjacent metal weather cover or foot plate.
A difficulty which can be encountered with these prior art weatherseals is their tendency to crack and, in some cases, form grooves or other separations from one of the members against which they are compressed over time under varying weather conditions. Such grooves, cracks, or separations then permit moisture to seep onto the wood members which underlie the weatherseal to cause rotting of the wood members over time necessitating replacement, most usually, of the entire door sill assembly.
By contrast, the flashing type of weatherseal strip of this invention contains a portion which covers any gap that might occur between a threshold member and an adjacent weather cover and directs water which might fall thereon over an adjacent, interior facing end wall of a metal weather cover onto a sloping foot plate to be carried off an end of the foot plate by gravity. All this is accomplished without placing the gap covering and the flashing portions of the weatherseal in compression between a threshold member and a weather cover.
Accordingly, by means of the present invention, the aforementioned difficulties encountered when using prior art weatherseals with exterior doorway door sill assemblies is substantially reduced, if not altogether eliminated.
It is an object of my invention to provide an improved weatherseal strip for an exterior doorway door sill assembly to protect underlying wood parts from moisture damage.
It is a further object of my invention to provide a flashing type of weatherseal strip for an exterior doorway door sill assembly which does not depend upon being compressed between two elements in order to protect underlying wood parts from moisture damage.
Briefly, in accordance with my invention, there is provided an exterior doorway door sill assembly comprising a base member and a threshold member mounted over and fastened to the base member. The assembly also includes a weather cover containing a foot plate mounted over an exterior facing side portion of the base member. The weather cover includes an upright side wall on an interior facing side thereof which is arranged in opposing relation to an exterior facing surface of the threshold member. The assembly further includes a flexible, resilient, form retentive weatherseal attached to the threshold member which covers an exterior facing portion of the threshold member. The weatherseal also covers a gap between the threshold member and the weather cover and an upper edge portion of the upright side wall. The weather cover is adapted to direct water falling thereon over the gap and upright side wall and onto the foot plate.
These and other objects, features and advantages of my invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and the attached drawings upon which, by way of example, only a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated.